Free Supplements?

Following up on Stacey's story that I shared with you last week....

She often get asked "what vitamins do you take?". Well, she's considered quite the unique situation indeed. Because she has malnutrition due to bariatric (weightloss) surgery, nutrient supplementation needs to be increased and always, as in forever must be consumed. The scenario goes like this, no matter how much of a "good" thing she eats or drinks, it will never all get absorbed because so much of her intestines has been bypassed. "Normal" folks do much absorption in the area of the intestines that for her is not being used.

Here were her problem areas

IRON

It was not too long ago that she was considered severely anemic (I mean severe, her average ferritin level was 2, a hematologist gets concerned when it drops to 12!).

Even weekly iron infusion (IV drip) did not help. 

VITAMINS/MINERALS

She also was dealing with deficiencies in:

Vitamin D

Vitamin B12

Vitamin K

Calcium

Omega's

Before Shaklee came into her life, she tried every way to get these things back within normal range, nothing seemed to help.

B12 shots (her poor hubby was injecting stabbing her every week)

Her body proved that consuming synthetic forms of the vitamins she was deficient in did not help her, in fact it made her feel worse. Her levels were not budging and she felt crappy (no nice way to put it).

PROTEIN

With any bariatric surgery folks are taught that ingesting high quality/low calorie protein is a main staple in their new diet for life. She had tried every thing on the market, even stuff from other countries. Most of it was unpalatable, like... down right nasty. The stuff she could tolerate seemed to either upset her stomach or leave her hungry for more, not to mention it was expensive. It wasn't until about a year ago that she learned most soy based protein is genetically modified (GMO). 

Then she began consuming the protein from Shaklee that is when she felt a difference and full. 

It was then she learned that nothing from Shaklee is GMO, never.

To top the issues she was dealing with listed above, she was also coming to grips with the fact that her thyroid glands were being attacked by her own immune system. She was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. Since our thyroid/endocrin system controls basically every function within our body, she was at battle with herself. Before Shaklee her body was winning (or should I say loosing?). Now that she has armed her self with what she need to fight off anything that comes her way, she is in a WAY better place with her health. 

All her levels are higher than ever and her iron for the 1st time in almost 10 years is high normal! Her thyroid will eventually die off which means she will need to take thyroid hormone for the rest of my life. Since she am taking the most natural form of the thyroid hormone, her body seems to be happy with it, so she is happy.

Here are her daily SHAKLEE supplements:

VITALIZER

OSTEMATRIX

VITAMIN D3

take quiz HERE

OMEGA GUARD

 

ALFALFA COPMPLEX 

(great for allergies and digestion)

GARLIC COMPLEX 

(naturally kills parasites/bugs, aides digestion)

MOODLIFT COMPLEX 

(her newest addition to my armory, naturally raises serotonin levels, happy pills!!)

YES, to a "normal" person this may seem excessive, however how many prescription drugs to you see in her list? There is only one for her thyroid! 

Also, if you asked her how often she is sick, she would tell you it is rare. When she does get a cold, it only lasts for about 1-3 days. With working with children, she is very fortunate to not be sick more often.

The next question she gets asked is "Wow, that must be expensive?"

Not really. Keep in mind that because she had bariatric surgery, she knew going into it that she would be required to consume nutritional supplements no matter what. She listened to her surgeon and doctors and bought the expensive chewable brands designed specifically for bariatric patients (of course now she know those same doctors get a percentage of the sales!).

She was spending on average $190 per month on just the vitamins not including any protein she would try to eat as part of her diet.

Now her vitamins/supplements cost about $140.

So, $190 made her feel crappy OR $140 and feel better than she did 10 years ago? 

It's a NO brainer....GIVE HER SHAKLEE any day!

Now she feels that she has HEALTH insurance....because if you really think about it "health" insurance in our country is really not for healthy people. We should call it SICK insurance. We go to the doctors when we are sick not healthy. Stacey cannot even say that she was going to the doctors to get healthy either. Please do not misunderstand this, doctors serve a great purpose, but just like people all doctors do not think the same, nor do they have the same philosophy on nutrition and how it affects our overall health.

By now people are asking her "and how do you get them for free?"

After she realized SHE REQUIRED the SHAKLEE supplements (which did not take very long BTW), she became a distributor in an effort to help off set the cost of what she was consuming. That was her 1st and really only goal, breaking even. It would be many steps forward compared to what she was doing. She began sharing how this company was helping her. Actually folks starting approaching her and asking what I was doing, they could see the difference just like people are doing to me right now with my weight loss. She was feeling the difference, but was not paying attention to how she looked. True story: Strangers approach her and tell her how nice her skin is! She was totally creeped out by this at first, now she say thank you and had them a business card or ask if they would like more information. 

She never in a ga-zillion years would ever think she would be distributing anything, EVER! She is not a salesperson, but she likes to share and apparently she is getting better at it every day.

Her beliefs in the products and the company have over powered my pride & ego....WOW!

Do you take Supplements? What supplements do you take? 

Ever wonder what is truly in those pills, capsules or tablets? If you would like more information on how to get an answer from your vitamin company, contact me directly HERE

Have a great week!

Marie-anne

My Friend's Nutritional Supplement Story

WARNING!! This is a lengthy post, but I feel it is important.....

Here she is in December 2001, Holding her 6 month old (who is 11 1/2 now!) & on the right is her again (summer 2011) after getting her lab results at the hematologist. 

Clearly you all can tell that she is much healthier & happier. 

Back in 2001, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which since has been up graded (or down graded depending on your view) to hoshimoto's disease. Basically her immune system is destroying and killing her thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is what produces hormones that greatly affect metabolism (hence the extreme weight?), fatigue, mood and other various symptoms. She knew something was not right, however she was told it was all normal postpartum issues. She knew briefly about thyroid disorders from some of the women in her family including her own mother. She had an aunt who had her thyroid removed due to suspected cancer, her grandmother suffered in the past and had been on meds for most of her life. Her mother actually had radiation therapy when she was about the age of 2. I guess at 26, it was her turn? She went to many endocrinologists who kept telling her that her labs were normal and the weight was because of what she was consuming and that she needed to be more active. OK, so what does a FAT girl do? join weight watchers and exercise 2 hrs a day, 1 hr cardio and 1 hr weight training (with trainers too). She did loose a little weight...however she did not see or feel the results like she hoped. She did notice that through the exercising she felt mentally stronger and kept that up. She did her best with the diet regime. 

After many years of struggling with her weight, she decided to go under the knife. Was she scared you ask? Of course but not for the reasons you would expect. She had done her research and trusted the surgeon completely. Her fear was that it would not work and that she would have put her family and herself through this stress for nothing. She had the gastric banding that would restrict the amount of food she ate, which would help with controlling hunger. Again, she was lead to believe it was because she was eating too much, even though she was eating healthy food. It was just too much.

She lost over 90 lbs! For those of you that do not know much about the LAP band, the patient must visit the surgeon often to adjust the amount of saline that is in the band. The port is just under the skin in the abdominal area. Because this is her we are discussing, that port flipped and she required surgery to fix it later on. She had to sleep sitting up because she suffered (and still does) from esophageal dysmotility. This is when the esophagus does not help with swallowing nor does it help to keep the food/liquid down. She would drink water and lay down to sleep hours after drinking and would end up choking and gagging because the water would travel up her throat and she would aspirate it (breathe into her lungs). 

Then in 2006, along came her youngest child (who is now 6!). During the pregnancy she had gained back all the weight because she had to completely unfill the band due to reflux, causing her to eat normal amounts of food. 

It wasn't until they figured out her body was rejecting the surgical silicone the band was made out of that she decided to convert the band to the more invasive bypass, which restricts and adds in the malabsorption of nutrition (her youngest was about 3 then).

 Again she lost weight.

However her blood work which had always been so/so was now really bad. She was severely anemic, deficient in vitamins; D, C, A, K, B's and so on. Not to mention that no matter how much her thyroid meds increased her thyroid was always wicky-wacky. She also required multiple abdominal surgeries such as hernias (results of being over weight), hysterectomy (due to endometriosis) and she was requiring iron IV infusions weekly. 

She had known that it would be required to consume vitamins/supplements for the rest of her life, that no matter how much she ate, it would not be enough due to the malabsorption, she would never ingest enough nutrients for optimal health. She was taking the dr recommended chewable or sub-lingual supplements, injecting herself with B12 weekly. Her regiment of vitamins was CRAZY. She started at 5am, took something every hr and ended at about 10pm everyday. She had to sort out when she would take what. She learned a lot about which vitamins to take together for proper absorption and which ones to never ingest together because they would block each other from being absorbed. She did this religiously, and her labs were still crap. 

About 3 years ago, after a shocking visit to the Hemotologist, she was determined to be healthy. The Dr explained to her that iron is what helps carry oxygen and nutrients to her vital organs. He told her that if she did not do something, her organs would begin to fail as a result. He estimated 5-10 years. She cried. She sobbed. She thought long and hard of what to do. Then she wiped her tears and began research into a company she had been invested in as just a consumer of the non-toxic cleaners: SHAKLEE.

It dawned on her that just as she cleaned up her house of toxins, she needed to do the same to herself. She threw out all my bariatric supplements (which did not help and cost about $175 per month).

During her vitamin/supplement research she learned that many vitamins on the market are laced with toxic chemicals and ingredients that offset the potency of the vitamin. Also shocking is that after calling the companies of those expensive bariatric vitamins, they could not guarantee the results of the vitamins, nor could they guarantee they were safe. When she explained to them that her labs where not moving in the right direction, they tried telling her that the vitamins may be expired! Ummm, she can read the expiration date! Basically they did not stand behind the products they were pushing on people desperate to be healthy that had just had major surgery and were only listening to the advice of the surgeon.

She switched to the Shaklee  Vitalizer as a test run (cost $76 per month). Within 30 days her labs increased tremendously. The Endocrinologist could not understand why it seemed that  suddenly it appeared as though her thyroid meds where being absorbed better. Her Dr's where shocked. She went back after 6 months of consuming the vitalizer and for the first time in almost 10 years, she felt better, looked better and the best thing of all her labs were AWESOME! 

Since then she has added other supplements to offset the fact that she does and will always suffer from malabsorption. Some of the other supplements she added are B Complex, Vitamin D,  Vitamin C, Nutriferon, Omegaguard, and of course the  CINCH products. 

Her husband was so impressed with the increase in her overall health he also consumes shaklee vitamins and is sick less often than his co-workers! He complains less about feeling run down, joints hurting and his energy level is higher than it has been since he was in his 20's.

To make this long story a little shorter, she does not regret the weight loss surgery (regret the lap band tho). She is glad that it motivated her to continue to search for her optimal health by showing herself what feeling healthier was like and made her stronger, mentally :)

Stacey in august 2011
(still had a lil ways to go with to her goal weight but it's easy with CINCH)

She knows she is healthier now in her 30's than she ever was in her 20's, so we say bring on the 40's!

Have a great day!

-Marie-anne

Oh! The Controversy 

I have been debating on how to tackle this post. It's a controversial thought for many to think about ridding their home of bleach. I get strange looks from people, let's face it we all have grown up on the stuff. People just do not want to hear that what they have been doing is "wrong" or not good, but here it is.....NO MORE BLEACH!

There I said it, get rid of the bleach!

  

Why?

It's not just about saving Toxie “My Big French Boyfriend” (a.k.a. Melvin Ferd The Third from The Toxic Avenger......which, by the way, is a MUST SEE at the Aloha Theater (October 5 -20, 2012). It is a hilarious musical but does have a lot of “food for thought”......

 

Chlorine-based bleaches, like Clorox, are common in many households. Many people are not aware of the potential health risks of chlorine and the organic chlorine compounds that can form in some cases. Chlorine-based bleach, when combined with several other common household cleaning compounds, is very toxic and has resulted in a number of deaths.

Dangers from exposure to bleach

Dioxin

One by-product of chlorine and chlorine-based cleaning supplies can be dioxin. Dioxin is a far more potent carcinogen than the banned pesticide DDT. Dioxins can form as the chlorinated bleach combines with other materials. Dioxins do not break down and remain in the environment for many years.

Chloroform

Using chlorine-based bleach in the laundry can result in another carcinogen, chloroform. However, the levels of chloroform created through the use of chlorine bleach in the laundry are relatively small. It is unclear whether these chloroforms are sufficient to cause cancer.

Corrosive

Chlorine-based bleaches are corrosive and often labeled as such. Chlorine bleaches must be diluted or they can cause skin burns and irritation and damage other home surfaces.

*Chlorine, also known as "sodium hypochlorite" or "hypochlorite," is a toxic chemical that is the active ingredient in chlorine bleaches such as Clorox brand. This forms a gas that is extremely dangerous to both the environment and humans, causing multiple health problems from serious burns, cancers, birth defects, genetic alterations, to breathing problems and even death.

How dangerous can it really be?

Burns and Mucous Membranes

The active ingredient in bleach is a corrosive and works like an acid to clean by eating away organic material--mold, dirt, stains, etc--and it does the same to the human body. Wear gloves while using any bleach product because it can burn your skin. Mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, and esophagus are extremely susceptible because of the delicate nature of these membranes. The gas can literally burn away the layers of mucus protecting these areas in severe cases cause raw, open wounds.

Asthma and Chemical Pneumonia

Common household cleaners including bleach are known triggers for asthmatic attacks and some suggest that the 600 percent increase in Asthma cases since 1980 is a bi-product of cleansers and sprays with Chlorine.

Chemical Pneumonia is a non-contagious pneumonia--an irritation or swelling of the lungs--caused by breathing in fumes from chemicals. It is identifiable by a variety of symptoms including coughing, choking, gagging, troubled or rapid breathing, bluish fingernails, toenails, or skin; arrhythmia, headache, fever or upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and convulsions.

Shock, Low Blood Pressure and Altered Heartbeat

Chlorine can cause rapid and erratic heartbeats as well as slowed heartbeats. Low blood pressure is generally brought on by dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea. Shock occurs when there is insufficient blood flow throughout the body.

Coma and Delirium

Delirium is rapid changes in brain functioning--alertness, feeling, consciousness, movement, and memory--which can be caused by chemical pneumonia or because of chemical poisoning. Toxic coma is decreased alertness and can vary from a few hours, to days. Persistent coma, which is what is commonly referred to by the term "coma" is known as a vegetative state and is usually caused by brain damage.

Death

Inhaling Chlorine can be fatal, sometimes causing death, but usually proceeded by coma and/or chemical pneumonia if the victim is unable to regain a regular heartbeat or breathing. This is usually only a risk when using industrial strength bleach or when it has been mixed with acidic chemicals, which produces a toxic gas

Still a sceptic, watch this shocking video!

What’s the alternative?

Shaklee's Basic G (Germicide)

*non-toxic once diluted (because it is super concentrated it must be diluted before considered non-toxic)

*kills 32 pathogens while bleach kills less than half that much non-flamable

*cost effective

Dilution

3/8 tsp in 16 oz water or 1 tablespoon in 1 gallon of water!

 (1/2 tsp per 16oz for childcare centers/homes)

Because it is super concentrated a small amount goes a long way!

Comparison to Bleach

*Basic G shelf life is 3 years from the time it is opened where as bleach starts to loose the effectiveness as soon as it is opened making it less effective on germs.

* No harsh odors, that could burn the lining of your sinuses.

*Will not cause dangerous fumes if mixed with other cleaners.

*Basic G has a residual effect which last up to 3 days after application whereas bleach lasts for up to 1 hour.

Where to use it

Bathroom

toilets

sinks & faucets

showers & tubs

floors

diaper pails

trash cans

walls (especially f you have boys!)

door knobs

Kitchen

counter tops

cutting boards (should be rinsed after cleaning)

sink & faucet

refrigerator handles 

floors

trash cans (will kill pathogens and leave a fresh scent)

great on surfaces to kill bacteria such as salmonella (from eggs & poultry)

door knobs

Other Uses

pet areas

weed killer (I’ll post about this as I am attempting to kill my lawn the weeds!!)

weed killer solution:

1 gallon water

1 tablespoon of Shaklee Basic G

1/2 cup of white vinegar

laundry

add 1 teaspoon per load of laundry 

*safe to use as air freshener

*safe on stainless steel & aluminum

*safe on non-porous surfaces such as granite and marble

*EPA registered

Basic G (Germicide) kills the following pathogens 

Streptococcus pyogenes *Vaccinia

Salmonella choleraesuis *Rubella (German Measles)

Candida albicans *Adenovirus type 4

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus *Feline picornavirus

Bordetella bronchiseptica *Feline leukemia

Chlamydia psittaci *Canine distemper

Fusobacterium necrophorum * Rabies

Listeria monocytogenes * Pseudorabies

Pasteurella multocida *Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis

Salmonella enteritidis *Infectious bronchitis (Avian IBV)

Enterobacter cloacae *Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Enterobacter aerogenes *Transmissible gastroenteritis virus

Proteus vulgaris (TGE)

Salmonella typhimurium Escherichia coli1

Shigella flexneri Proteus mirabilis

Salmonella typhi Streptococcus faecalis1

Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus aureus1

(methicillen resistant) Klebsiella pneumoniae1 Shigella sonnei Pseudomonas aeruginosa1 Serratia marcescens Staphylococcus epidermidis2 Trichophyton mentagrophytes Aspergillus niger *HIV-l (AIDS Virus)

*Influenza A/Hong Kong 1 ATCC & antibiotic-resistant strain

*Herpes simplex type I 2 Antibiotic-resistant only

*Herpes simplex type II * Virucidal

Our intention when killing germs is to make our home or work place a safer place, not slowly kill ourselves in the process! I love knowing I am helping my family and my childcare by killing these germs while not harming others, myself or our planet in the process :)

Email me :)

Thank you for stopping by,

Marie-anne @ Unlimited Solutions, LLC

Stopping, reflecting and taking in the sights

Sitting in the Aloha Theater alley.....waiting for my next entrance. It's Sunday afternoon and we are right dab in the middle of “A Chorus Line!” I actually got some good laughs from the audience in the opening number. My character isn't necessarily funny, but he does have a little quirkiness to him. Yes. I play a male character named Frank. Most people know him as “boy in the headband” but that's fine by me.....after all, that is how the director refers to him as when yelling! And, for the finale, I am myself.....back to being a girly girl.

Blessed with a nice, cold, breeze and it is overcast. That makes the dressing rooms much cooler too since this is an old, metal corrugated wall sidings and roof, building with definite character and unique charm. The green pastures behind the building is home to very talkative cows and some wild cats (some of which like to sneak into the theater!). It is nice to just stop and share a smiling glance with the bovines. Most of them are chocolate milk colored. There are a few black ones, including this adorable little black calf. All with their big, soft, eyes and thick eyelashes. The calf is right up to the fence right now. It's great seeing happy cows. The elephant grass filling their pasture is almost as tall as they are.

And the view......what can I say about the view. To me, it seems that it doesn't matter where you are on the island. You will always be surrounded by beauty. The ocean is out in the distance, which we can't really see right now due to the vog, but I don't mind. The birds are flying and singing songs. Although I can hear them, I know there are some doves around. Maybe they are hiding in the big mango tree just a few feet away. Can you imagine it? This mango tree is probably three stories high! Picture that size tree full of ripe, yellow and orange colored, sweet smelling mangoes. I'm drooling just thinking of it. Then, looking at the banana trees, I can see that there are going to be quite a few bananas ripening at the same time. Pretty soon they will be as yellow as the hibiscus flowers right by me. There are also some grapefruit colored hibiscus and pink ones as well. I just love all the different speckles of colors all around and they all tie right in with the plumeria that has pink, yellow, and white all on each of it's blossoms. A little white butterfly passes by. It seems that the breeze is too strong to let it fly straight as it is fighting against the wind. Nobody told that butterfly it can't fly against the wind so it just keeps on going. Yes, I need to let myself be like that butterfly and just do.

Mmmmm.....It's nice just stopping, reflecting and taking in the sights, sounds and scents. Now, it's your turn.

Want an out of this world experience?

Then catch a UFO! Nah! Just kidding..... Go on the UFO Parasailing adventure. We surprised the kids and had a fabulous time. The minimum weight was 130 pounds to ride all alone so we decided to just do a tandem and a trio. I went up with Jacob & Sarah. And, let me tell you. 

I thought I was going to be scared or nervous. Not even. We got on the boat and as we are going out to sea, we are watching the dolphins swimming all around and jumping out of the water. They were having a party! One of the crew members put on the harnesses for us. Jacob, being the youngest, also had to wear a life-vest. When it was time to go up, we made our way one by one to the platform on the back end of the boat. Our harnesses got hooked up to a holding bar that was also connected to the parachute. We got to sit down and as the boat's speed increased, more air inflated the parachute and we were lifted up very smoothly. 

We did the “Out Of This World” package so went up to about 1200 feet high. It was amazing how peaceful and serene it is up there. Even the kids were being very quiet (most of the time) and taking it all in. While up there, we enjoyed seeing the dolphins playing around and they looked smaller than my toes! Talk about a bird's eye view........we even saw a bird flying below us!

Looks like I need a pedicure! 

Can you see the dolphins I'm point at?

An experience well worth the price tag.......and I want to do it again!  

I brought two cameras with me.  My regular digital camera that stayed with whomever was in the boat and a disposable waterproof camera.  The disposable was just in case I dropped it from way up there.....and water proof in case we got wet (which we didn't because the water wasn't calm enough to let us go for a dip with the parachute connected.)  We are so blessed to have the flexibility with our business what we can do fun stuff like that with the kids while they are out of school for the summer.  What's the next adventure?  We haven't decided yet.  In the meantime, we are also having fun at the Aloha Theater.  We are involved with the production of "School House Rock, Jr., Live!" and "A Chorus Line".  Come and watch us perform on stage.  We are having a blast!

Oklahoma!......It's more than "OK"!

I've said it over and over again. The folks at the Aloha Theater always put on great productions! This time, we went and enjoyed "Oklahoma!". If you didn't get a chance to see it yet, it's running until March 11, 2012. It's a great classic.......with a little twist! We saw it last week and the songs are still running in my head and it was great seeing both new and veteran faces on the stage. A great group of talent and I'm so glad we got to go on opening weekend.......sure was jammed packed and for once it was the men's bathroom that had a long line at intermission!

There are more great plays coming up: The Tempest, Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr, and A Chorus Line. If you want to get more info about auditions or show dates, you can go to www.AlohaTheater.com or call their office at 322-9924.

Can you guess which one I want to audition for?

Kick okole in Hawaii!!! (maybe your own!)

Are you looking for something different to do while you are here on vacation? How about some kickboxing! You can have tons of fun, get a workout, and do something that most people don't do while on vacation.

In general, kickboxing refers to a sport based on kicking and punching and historically it is developed from karate, Mauay Thai and western boxing. In general, people practice it for self-defense, general fitness, or as a contact sport. This is, of course, a very broad description. This definition simply doesn't do the sport justice.

My first time kickboxing somewhat kicked my okole (butt) but it was tons of fun. What is good about it is that the classes can incorporate people of different fitness levels so it's okay to go to class when you've never done anything like it before. I did and had a blast! And if you don't have your own equipment, such as gloves, Steve has extras available. Check out Steve's website for a schedule of all the classes available http://www.thedojo-hawaii.com/

It's Magic!

Driving to Hilo can be such a magical and mesmerizing experience. You can take your time to enjoy the full nuances of colors and details one might miss when rushing. This morning, we drove on saddle road into the sunrise. Even though the sky was bursting with dark grey clouds, pink slowly streaked on the mile high canvas and to my surprise a small feathery white cloud drifted by as the feather did in the “Forrest Gump” movie that represents “Destiny”. Remember that one if you go eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp and you get asked trivia questions!

There is magic at every turn. On the top electrical wire, a beautiful black and brown owl watched us driving by. Knowing how flexible owls are, it was still amazing to see it's head rotating slowly and following us. Then , as we passed the military training camp, a buck ran out in front of us and crossed the road. I never get tired of watching nature's beauty. The grace and ease as it leaped across to the other side. The definition of muscle; the ridges on the thick, rounded horns; the agility; the speed..........simply mesmerizing!

Then shortly after, saw a kid just standing there on the lava rocks. A kid goat, that is, with it's mama watching on. Made for a great photo moment........the silhouette of mommy and baby on jagged lava rocks. I guess you can say I have a thing about goats. When I had my second-hand shop, I would keep an eye on people's kids or hold their babies while they shopped or tried on clothes......and sometimes some people would bring in their pets, mostly purse dogs. There was one that I did ask to be taken back outside for safety reasons.......a mongoose on a leash. And, yes, someone also brought with them a kid goat so we decided to make a sign “We'll watch your kid while you shop!” with a picture of me holding the baby goat.

But, let's get back to the drive. As we get closer to Hilo, the fauna starts to change. First, I start to see more plants growing in the lava fields. I have no idea what they are called but they remind me of stalagmites, big at the bottom and shooting straight up as if reaching for the sky. And driving on, more colors start to appear. The thick flower patches actually made me think of the flower garden at the entrance of Disneyland. Then, the forest starts to grow in and gets more thicker and dense. It's the perfect combination of dark and light greens. I feel like little nature fairies are playing and dancing around while making a few bamboo orchids bloom here and there as it starts to drizzle. The air is cold and crisp. I should have remembered to wear socks! Oh, well. It's Hawaii. I'll warm up!

Hidden treasures......in plain view

This island is filled with treasures......and sometimes they are in plain view! One of those little treasure nooks is Bruce's art gallery “Extreme Exposure”. What a burst of colors! The island comes alive in his photographs. When in Hilo, you just have to.....I say, Have To make time to check it out. You just might get to meet Bruce, his wife, or Tom (the other awesome artist at Extreme Exposure). It's such a laid-back athmosphere. Simply go in and talk story. You can also check them out at http://www.extremeexposure.com/

A Must Have Resource........

Well. This time, instead of writing about a place to go or something to do, I thought it important to share about a great resource for both visitors and locals alike. It's the Ke Ola Magazine. Personally, I collect them to send them in bunches to my mom.......share a little bit of Aloha in some fun care packages that are always welcomed! But, it's also very enjoyable to relax and read the articles. Sometimes we get to read about things we had no idea even exhisted on this beautiful island and sometimeswe get to read about friends. There are always great surprises to be found in this artistically designed magazine. Pick up your free copy at places like starbucks, one of our favorite “date” spots or get a subscription so you don't miss an issue if you live off island. And.......make sure to check out the calendar of events so you know what's happening!

Ironman Day......stay in town.....or get out!!!!!!!

Ironman Day is a day that some look forward to (I do!). While others would rather skedaddle out of town as fast as possible. Whichever you choose, you can have some good times. We decided to do both this year. First, we headed down to one of the aid stations for a 10 hour volunteer shift! Hot, sweaty, and happy...... well, not everyone was happy! We were at the water station. Basically, our duty was to be ready to sprint along side the athletes zooming by on their bicycles to hand them water. Here you can see my youngest, Jacob, waiting for the next athlete to signal him that he/she wants water. Check out our local postal worker, Orlanda, who is almost done with the 112 miles portion of the race.....then hel'll be off to run the last segment, a 26.4 mile marathon! Thanks to friends along the course, we also got to keep tabs on Ken, Jacob's friend's dad, and got to see pictures of other parts of the race such as this one of him on the run. Being there to support the athletes is actually super fun and a great time to hang out with friends too. If you want to volunteer for the next Ironman, stop by their main office on Alapa street in the old industrial.

Then, in the evening, we headed up to the Aloha Theater for the opening of “The Diary Of Anne Frank.” That......was amazing! The cast & all the volunteers that made this show such a fantastic success well deserve the standing ovation they received! If you didn't go yet, I highly recommend that you get your tickets now before they sell out and while you are on their website (www.AlohaTheater.com) , check out the upcoming shows and auditions. There is always something cool and exciting happening at the theater.

It's IRONMAN Season!

It is that time of year again!

IRONMAN Season.......some welcome it........some dread it!

Athletes are starting to fill the narrow downtown streets and the highway. Personally, I love the electric charged atmosphere. People seem to get an extra oomph and get out more and "get physical" so we see all sorts of body shapes in tight exercise wear. There is much preparation taking place around town and this is going to be a busy week for everyone. For spectators, there is the Parade of Nations on Tuesday evening. Then, the annual Underwear Run is on Thursday morning down Alii drive (usually starts by the triangle area across the street from the Queen's Palace) and then, of course, the big day is on Saturday 8th! Thousands of athletes will compete starting with the swim at 7 am and the deadline to complete the last portion of the race is midnight! Thousands of volunteers and supporters will be lining the streets and highways while some folks will stay home away from the crowds. The kids and I will be out on the highway in the yellow volunteer shirts at the aid station by the Four Seasons........and then after a day of standing on the black asphalt in the bright hot sun, I'll get to go relax at the Aloha Theater for the opening show of "The Diary of Anne Frank"

Beach time......a must!

Coming to Hawaii means that you are going to hit the beaches. On the Big Island, you have so many to choose from. Just the other day, we went to Hapuna Beach which is on the west side. The best time to be there is in the morning before it gets too hot as there is very little shade available on the beach itself. In between the beach and the parking lot, there are covered picnic areas, a snack bar, and public restrooms. This is a beautiful beach......no doubt about it! This white sand beach with clear water is great for swimming, snorkeling and body boarding. You can even see Maui's Haleakala across the ocean when the weather conditions are just right. Being a great beach, it can become crowded on the weekends and just like any beach, you always face the ocean when you go in as you never know when a bigger wave comes you way. It is located right off of Highway 19 close to the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel so very easy to get to and there is plenty of parking. For those that are more adventurous, you can rent an A frame cabin and spend the night so you can catch the beautiful sunset......and if you are lucky, the green flash!

Dinner & Music with Casablanca

If you want an evening of great food, Boston Basil's is a great pick (check out the menu http://www.bostonbasils.com/menu/Basil%27s%20Menu%20dinner%20menu.pdf ).

If you want an evening of great food and great music, then go when Casablanca is playing! http://sites.google.com/site/casablancahawaii/home/schedule or book them for your private party.

We sat upstairs so as to enjoy the live music with our dinner. Casablanca plays there once a month so it was perfect timing for my friend to visit and ended up running into other friends. Sure was the place to be. The breeze coming through the open windows was just perfect......cooled by the evening rain. There was a birthday celebration and we all enjoyed an awesome “Happy Birthday” medley, to which, of course, we got to sing along. The whole evening was filled with laughter, excellent food, and music that takes one back in time.......at times! I got a kick from hearing Cole Porter's “I get a kick out of you” and surprised myself that I remembered almost all the words. I did hear it quite a bit when we did “Anything Goes” at the Aloha Theater but that over a year ago. 

And, for the food. All I have to say is Delizioso! We enjoyed every bite and had no room for dessert.

Let's Eat ~ JACKIE REY'S

There are so many places to choose from when going out to eat in Kailua-Kona town. If you're looking for a good lunch or dinner out with friends, Jackie Rey's is well worth checking out. Here's their menu if you want to wet your appetite http://www.jackiereys.com/menu.htm This time around, I enjoyed the Club Med salad......regular size to make it my meal. The hummus, grilled garlic pita bread, tabouleh, greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, basil pesto vinaigrette. It was a great combo of flavors. Most enjoyable! Other items on their menu that I've had in the past......Tortilla Salad, Cool Summer Gazpacho, and they even substituted the chicken with a veggie patty for the Mac Nut Basil Pesto sandwich. 

You might want to call them for reservations and directions from where you are: 808-327-0209.

EATING in Kona ~ Kona Brew Pub

Whether you are eating on your own, a date, or family, the Kona Brew Pub is a great place to eat. It's always a favorite of ours and having family visiting from out of town made for a perfect “excuse” to go again. Some of us ordered our own dish, while others ordered a big pizza for sharing.......that's an option that works perfect for the kids. We actually ordered two pizzas. One that was cheese only with no "green sprinkles" and one veggie. Simply Delicious! The salads can even make a whole meal!

And, don't forget the beer. After all, this is the brew pub so gotta try some local brewed “liquid aloha!” This time I had the Koko Brown. Here's the menu just in case you want to plan ahead what you are going to eat......or just want to drool!

http://konabrewingco.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/5/files/2011/06/KON_11003_Menu_Update_Kona_web.pdf